More White Collar
Spoilers, of course. I might be getting into White Collar too much. Peter and Neal have shown up in my dreams more than once now, and so has New York.
I have some complaints (bloopholes?) about each episode and am happy to take a fan-fix if you've got one (or a correction if you caught something I didn't). I did enjoy both, however.
"Home Invasion"
Complaints Department:
I've seen other people complain about this first one, so I hope I didn't just miss something, but how did we get from Chinese jade elephants to "Japan really wants them back"? Brilliant Husband said, "Simple: China gave them to visiting ambassadors; Japan collected them all and kept them long enough that they became Japan's cultural treasure." I'll go for that.
• When Neal walked home and said that at least he still had a home, was Peter supposed to take that as canceling his invitation? Was Peter not supposed to show up at Neal's, where he had all his stuff? I'm thinking particularly of his toothbrush. I suppose he could buy a new one. (Yes, I worry about hygiene a lot.)
• Neal's right: he invited Peter into his home as a guest, and Peter not only took advantage of his hospitality, he did so in a way that accidentally put Neal in danger.
--On the other hand, Peter ran the prints as part of an ongoing effort to keep Neal safe, which Neal frankly doesn't seem to do awfully well. (I'm not sure how he survived so long before he had Peter to watch out for him.) Peter was also pretty mean when he deliberately drove Neal from Neal's own living space: he entered the room sweaty, threw himself on the couch with a beer, and turning the game on and then back on when Neal turned it off (or muted it). Again, he meant to keep Neal safe. (Plus, I did laugh really hard.) Peter could not know Alex would know they'd run the prints. She shouldn't know. Indeed, they should be asking how she learned!
--On the gripping hand, would it kill Peter to apologize for abusing Neal's hospitality, particularly after Neal was nearly beaten up by three big guys? Neal was genuinely shaken, and that's why he was angry with Peter. Peter seems really, really bad at apologizing to Neal. (BH points out he apologizes well to El. He's had lots of practice, hasn't he?)
• When Peter realized Neal was in danger (and I hope he felt at least a little guilty!), Hughes held out and refused to believe. Surely Hughes reads the reports and knows how much Neal has risked for them previously!
I enjoyed:
• Meeting Alex. I doubt she's good for Neal, but which of his friends from before prison are? (Maybe Mozzie, but even he's a problem.) I wasn't so appreciative of Neal lifting someone's wallet, but I must confess to being amused. Alex clearly feels affection for Neal, which is more than I ever felt from Kate. Neal seems to return the affection, though not as strongly.
• June's certainty that something was wrong with Pierce. She did all she could safely do. I'd like to think she called Peter before he even had a chance to call her about the tracker being cut.
• Peter knowing that Neal hadn't run.
• Rich, geeky Dan wanting to hang with Neal! I thought it was adorable how he sought Neal's approval and wanted Neal to teach him a hat trick while Neal winced at Dan using an expensive sculpture as a hat stand.
• Neal's distaste at Peter's sweat also amused me greatly. Clearly, the great Neal Caffrey doesn't get sweaty (or at least doesn't smell when he does).
• Neal's solution! I didn't figure out what "power" was supposed to mean right away; he conveyed a lot with just five letters. And of course Peter was brilliant enough to figure out not just where Neal was but how to help him most. (I also laughed at Peter's exasperated, "Battering rams? It's my house! I have the keys!") When the moment came, Neal vanished quite effectively until the Fibbies controlled the scene. I assume he hid behind the couch. There's a lot to be said for a healthy fear of guns.
"Company Man"
Complaints:
I can go for not having security cameras on the 44th floor; as I told joonscribble, Kent doesn't want even security seeing him shred huge quantities of documents. Here's what I can't go for:
• Jessica realized that someone had been through the trays on her desk because Neal knocked them askew. Really? Neal?
- Along similar lines, Neal not only showed her his nifty recording pen, but he also let her see him put it in a drawer. Not only would he not show her where he kept it, he wouldn't take it out of his pocket. Neal is not sloppy. If the plot requires him to be sloppy, they're doing it wrong.
• Neal had to lift a security badge to get to Kent's office as well as having the pen. Jessica took the pen, but where did she get the security badge?
• Peter and Neal kept conferring in Peter's big glass office. Okay, Kent is supposed to think they're buddies; that's why he gave Neal a job. The rest of the office, however, shouldn't know. Neal dodged when Trent asked him why he was hired. If Marketing knew Neal and the auditor are chummy, would really going to tell him things? Even if Our Boys can't be heard in the office, their body language screams "close friends!", and people might start wondering what the heck the guy from Marketing is spending all this time talking to the external auditor about. They're liable to be suspicious of him. They might also be suspicious of a out-of-town auditor who has a friend needing a job.
I enjoyed:
• Undercover Peter! I was only sorry El couldn't share the swanky hotel suite with him! I loved how quickly he got used to good coffee. Back at the FBI, after his first sip of the old cheap coffee, he kept starting to lift the cup to his mouth and then lowering it without drinking any. I also just plain like seeing Peter get to play go undercover.
• Peter talking to El's picture! Oh, it was sappy, but good sappy. Brilliant Husband pointed out long before Peter said it out loud that if he had gone into a corporate career, he'd never have met Elizabeth.
• Neal's complete panic when he realizes Peter has been poisoned. I complained at first that he should have called 911 immediately or at least left specific instructions with the guard: "Call the paramedics! Tell them we have digitalis poisoning." I'm guessing the EMTs don't see it so often that treating it is force of habit. Yet Neal is panicked enough to be not quite rational. He falls back on old habits: relying on himself, not anyone else, and certainly not the authorities.
• I love that Peter insisted Neal go back for Kent, and that Neal did it. He didn't agree with Peter, and he could have just dragged Peter into the elevator, but Peter wouldn't have forgiven him easily.
• I felt very relieved that Neal knew why Peter didn't tell him about the music box: for his own protection. I'm also very glad they seem finally to be working together.
Of course, they both said, "No secrets," but Neal immediately failed to tell Peter he stole the key to his own ankle tracker, so Neal's lying again already. I'm sure things will go Horribly Wrong next week before they get better. I only hope they get better before the mid-season break, because I hate cliffhangers that stretch more than one week.
I have some complaints (bloopholes?) about each episode and am happy to take a fan-fix if you've got one (or a correction if you caught something I didn't). I did enjoy both, however.
"Home Invasion"
Complaints Department:
I've seen other people complain about this first one, so I hope I didn't just miss something, but how did we get from Chinese jade elephants to "Japan really wants them back"? Brilliant Husband said, "Simple: China gave them to visiting ambassadors; Japan collected them all and kept them long enough that they became Japan's cultural treasure." I'll go for that.
• When Neal walked home and said that at least he still had a home, was Peter supposed to take that as canceling his invitation? Was Peter not supposed to show up at Neal's, where he had all his stuff? I'm thinking particularly of his toothbrush. I suppose he could buy a new one. (Yes, I worry about hygiene a lot.)
• Neal's right: he invited Peter into his home as a guest, and Peter not only took advantage of his hospitality, he did so in a way that accidentally put Neal in danger.
--On the other hand, Peter ran the prints as part of an ongoing effort to keep Neal safe, which Neal frankly doesn't seem to do awfully well. (I'm not sure how he survived so long before he had Peter to watch out for him.) Peter was also pretty mean when he deliberately drove Neal from Neal's own living space: he entered the room sweaty, threw himself on the couch with a beer, and turning the game on and then back on when Neal turned it off (or muted it). Again, he meant to keep Neal safe. (Plus, I did laugh really hard.) Peter could not know Alex would know they'd run the prints. She shouldn't know. Indeed, they should be asking how she learned!
--On the gripping hand, would it kill Peter to apologize for abusing Neal's hospitality, particularly after Neal was nearly beaten up by three big guys? Neal was genuinely shaken, and that's why he was angry with Peter. Peter seems really, really bad at apologizing to Neal. (BH points out he apologizes well to El. He's had lots of practice, hasn't he?)
• When Peter realized Neal was in danger (and I hope he felt at least a little guilty!), Hughes held out and refused to believe. Surely Hughes reads the reports and knows how much Neal has risked for them previously!
I enjoyed:
• Meeting Alex. I doubt she's good for Neal, but which of his friends from before prison are? (Maybe Mozzie, but even he's a problem.) I wasn't so appreciative of Neal lifting someone's wallet, but I must confess to being amused. Alex clearly feels affection for Neal, which is more than I ever felt from Kate. Neal seems to return the affection, though not as strongly.
• June's certainty that something was wrong with Pierce. She did all she could safely do. I'd like to think she called Peter before he even had a chance to call her about the tracker being cut.
• Peter knowing that Neal hadn't run.
• Rich, geeky Dan wanting to hang with Neal! I thought it was adorable how he sought Neal's approval and wanted Neal to teach him a hat trick while Neal winced at Dan using an expensive sculpture as a hat stand.
• Neal's distaste at Peter's sweat also amused me greatly. Clearly, the great Neal Caffrey doesn't get sweaty (or at least doesn't smell when he does).
• Neal's solution! I didn't figure out what "power" was supposed to mean right away; he conveyed a lot with just five letters. And of course Peter was brilliant enough to figure out not just where Neal was but how to help him most. (I also laughed at Peter's exasperated, "Battering rams? It's my house! I have the keys!") When the moment came, Neal vanished quite effectively until the Fibbies controlled the scene. I assume he hid behind the couch. There's a lot to be said for a healthy fear of guns.
"Company Man"
Complaints:
I can go for not having security cameras on the 44th floor; as I told joonscribble, Kent doesn't want even security seeing him shred huge quantities of documents. Here's what I can't go for:
• Jessica realized that someone had been through the trays on her desk because Neal knocked them askew. Really? Neal?
- Along similar lines, Neal not only showed her his nifty recording pen, but he also let her see him put it in a drawer. Not only would he not show her where he kept it, he wouldn't take it out of his pocket. Neal is not sloppy. If the plot requires him to be sloppy, they're doing it wrong.
• Neal had to lift a security badge to get to Kent's office as well as having the pen. Jessica took the pen, but where did she get the security badge?
• Peter and Neal kept conferring in Peter's big glass office. Okay, Kent is supposed to think they're buddies; that's why he gave Neal a job. The rest of the office, however, shouldn't know. Neal dodged when Trent asked him why he was hired. If Marketing knew Neal and the auditor are chummy, would really going to tell him things? Even if Our Boys can't be heard in the office, their body language screams "close friends!", and people might start wondering what the heck the guy from Marketing is spending all this time talking to the external auditor about. They're liable to be suspicious of him. They might also be suspicious of a out-of-town auditor who has a friend needing a job.
I enjoyed:
• Undercover Peter! I was only sorry El couldn't share the swanky hotel suite with him! I loved how quickly he got used to good coffee. Back at the FBI, after his first sip of the old cheap coffee, he kept starting to lift the cup to his mouth and then lowering it without drinking any. I also just plain like seeing Peter get to play go undercover.
• Peter talking to El's picture! Oh, it was sappy, but good sappy. Brilliant Husband pointed out long before Peter said it out loud that if he had gone into a corporate career, he'd never have met Elizabeth.
• Neal's complete panic when he realizes Peter has been poisoned. I complained at first that he should have called 911 immediately or at least left specific instructions with the guard: "Call the paramedics! Tell them we have digitalis poisoning." I'm guessing the EMTs don't see it so often that treating it is force of habit. Yet Neal is panicked enough to be not quite rational. He falls back on old habits: relying on himself, not anyone else, and certainly not the authorities.
• I love that Peter insisted Neal go back for Kent, and that Neal did it. He didn't agree with Peter, and he could have just dragged Peter into the elevator, but Peter wouldn't have forgiven him easily.
• I felt very relieved that Neal knew why Peter didn't tell him about the music box: for his own protection. I'm also very glad they seem finally to be working together.
Of course, they both said, "No secrets," but Neal immediately failed to tell Peter he stole the key to his own ankle tracker, so Neal's lying again already. I'm sure things will go Horribly Wrong next week before they get better. I only hope they get better before the mid-season break, because I hate cliffhangers that stretch more than one week.